Governor Bentley Removes Wiggins From ASU Board

Gov. Robert Bentley has removed Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins as a trustee of Alabama State University.

Credit The Associated Press

Gov. Robert Bentley has removed Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins as a trustee of Alabama State University.

Bentley, who is president of the Alabama State board of trustees, had given Chairman Elton Dean and Vice Chairman Wiggins until Thursday afternoon to resign. Dean did, but Wiggins refused because he said he had done nothing wrong.

Bentley sent Wiggins a letter Friday saying he was using his authority as governor to remove him. The governor said the state law prohibits a trustee from being financially interested in any contract the university has. But he said Wiggins' wife received more than $30,000 as director of a camp hosted by the university and Wiggins' sister-in-law got hired to teach at Alabama State despite being a disbarred lawyer.

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Gov. Robert Bentley has asked two of the top trustees at Alabama State University to resign.

Bentley sent letters Tuesday to Chairman Elton Dean and Vice Chairman Marvin Wiggins asking them to resign by Thursday afternoon. Bentley says their resignations would be in the best interest of the university. Bentley serves as president of the Alabama State board by virtue of his office.

The chairman of the board of trustees at Alabama State University, Elton Dean, says he's resigning.

Dean announced his decision on the campus radio station, WVAS, Thursday afternoon.

Gov. Robert Bentley, who is president of the ASU board, had called for Dean and vice chairman Marvin Wiggins to resign after an accrediting agency gave the university a warning and cited conflicts of interest by Dean and Wiggins.